This just makes me mad. Does anyone else see that this poor scared animal is a tegu, and not a nile monitor? I would highly suggest to everyone to email the news station and "correct" them. I don't know what is more disturbing...the print story or the insane amount of misinformation in the video.
Link to the story
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/new..._lizard_030409
My email to them -
I wanted to email you and let you know that the lizard in the story you have posted on your website is NOT an African Nile Monitor, but a Black and White Argentine Tegu. These 2 animals are VERY different from one another, and a tegu is NOT a dangerous animal at all.
The sensationalistic approach to this story (both in video and in print) really does make it seem like the lizard is not unhappy because it is in a small box with a glass lid and people poking and peering at it constantly, but because it is "mean" or "dangerous", and really gives the reptile community and reptiles in general a bad reputation. It saddens me to see that this type of approach is taken just because the animal in question is a large lizard.
I would also suggest that before airing a story with absolute "fact" on the species, that some research should be done so as to report correct information.
Please know that this story is being shared throughout the reptile community already, and there are quite a few reptile keepers/lovers who are upset about this story, the misinformation and the general bad reputation you have given this poor, scared animal. Hopefully the keeper who took it in will be able to provide a good home, and will be able to at least properly identify the tegu as a tegu.
Kelly Kordek
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